System of secondary cooling in continuous casting plants



Nov. 25, 1969 A. 1. VARAXIN ET AL 3,480,075

SYSTEM OF SECONDARY COOLING IN CONTINUOUS CASTING PLANTS Filed March 1, 1967 United States Patent 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A secondary cooling device to support the sides of an ingot being extracted from a continuous casting machine including a cooled presser plate moved toward and away from contact with the ingot, preferably by use of hydraplic cylinder means, to support the sides of the ingot as it is extracted, with the toward and away movement being timed to permit the movement of the ingot with respect to the cooling device and means being provided to permit limited movement of the device with the ingot.

The present invention relates to a device for use in the systems of secondary cooling in continuous casting plants, and more particularly to systems provided with a zone of walking bars.

Systems of secondary cooling are known which are provided with walking bars to withdraw an ingot from mold assemblies arranged opposite each other along two sides of the ingot (see the French Patent Specification No..11,614).

The principal disadvantage of the existing systems is that the narrow faces or sides of the ingot are subjected therein to a deformation from a ferrostatic pressure of the ingot liquid core which results in a distortion of the geometrical shape of the ingot.

The cooling of the ingot sides, free from the bars, is effected in these systems by means of sprays, which may result in a non-uniform cooling of the ingot and cause a large generation of steam.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a system of secondary cooling intended for a uniform cooling of the ingot.

The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved due to the fact that in the system of secondary cooling of continuous casting plants provided with two'groups of walking bars for extracting the ingot from the mold, arranged opposite each other along two sides of the ingot, there are provided plates for preventing the deformation along two other sides of the ingot, with the plates being connected to one of the groups of walking bars, and having a drive for pressing them upon the ingot and withdrawing therefrom. The drive may be provided with at least one power cylinder for each plate complete with a distribution device common for all of the power cylinders, with the device being actuated by the drive of the walking bars.

It is expedient to unite the plates with the power cylinder by hinge-joints. The plates may be provided with channels for allowing a cooling liquid to flow therethrough.

The nature of the present invention will become more fully apparent from a consideration of the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Patented Nov. 25, 1969 FIG. 1 is a side view of one of the groups of walking bars of the system of secondary cooling complete with plates according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1 the view looking in the direction of the arrows.

The system of secondary cooling comprises a group 1 (FIG. 1) of walking bars arranged opposite each other along two sides of an ingot 2, and plates 3 for preventing the deformation at two other sides 4 of the ingot 2 connected to the block of the walking bars.

The plates 3 are linked to the group 1 of the walking bars by axially spaced brackets 5 and 6 secured on the group. Such a design allows the plates to perform a reciprocating motion along the sides 4 of the ingot 2.

Each of the plates 3 is provided with a drive for pressing against the side 4 of the ingot 2 and withdrawing it therefrom, with the drive comprising two hydraulic cylinders 7 and 8 (FIG. 2) whose bodies are designed to be movable, while piston rods 9 and 10 respectively are rigidly connected through cross-beams 11 and 12 to the brackets 5 and 6.

The bodies of the cylinders 7 and 8 are connected to the plate 3 by hinge joints 13 and 14 provided eccentrically relative to the axes of the bodies of the hydraulic cylinders 7 and 8. Such a mounting allows, with various thicknesses of the ingot 2, the disposing of the plate 3 along the axis of the side 4, for which purpose the bodies of the cylinders 7 and 8 turn through a certain angle.

The hydraulic cylinders move forward in the direction of the side 4 of the ingot 2 and backward therefrom under the action of the working liquid supplied through a distributing device 15 (FIG. 1) which is actuated by a cam 16 provided on output shaft 17 of the drive of the group 1 of walking bars.

The plates 3 are provided with channels 18 to allow the flowing of the cooling liquid therethrough.

The invention operates as follows:

When the group 1 of walking bars is displaced so as to extract the ingot 2, the working liquid is supplied to spaces a and b of the hydraulic cylinders 7 and 8 through the distributing device 15 which is actuated by a cam 17. During movement, the hydraulic cylinders 7 and 8 press the plates 3 to the sides of the ingot 2 thereby causing its cooling, and preventing the distortion thereof under the action of the ferrostatic pressure of the liquid core of the ingot 2. When the group 1 of the walking bars moves upwardly, the distribution device 15 supplies the working liquid to spaces 0 and d of the hydraulic cylinders 7 and 8, which results in the withdrawal of the plates 3 from the sides 4 of the ingot 2. When the plates 3 are withdrawn, no deformation of the sides 4 of the ingot 2 occurs because the time required for their withdrawal is short. Thereupon, the operation cycle is repeated.

During operation, the liquid flows through the channels 18 of the plates 3, and the liquid cools the ingot 2 due to a contact of the working surfaces of the plates 3 with the sides 4 of the ingot 2.

Hence, the system of secondary cooling, as outlined above, preserves the geometrical shape of the ingot and creates a uniform cooling thereof along all of the sides.

We claim:

1. A device for use in secondary cooling in a continuous casting plant of the type having two groups of walking bars for extracting an ingot from a mold, said bars being arranged opposite each other along the two wide sides of an ingot comprising: plates for preventing the deformation of the two narrow sides of the ingot positioned along the two narrow sides of the ingot; means operably connecting the plates to one group of the walking bars for causing the plates to execute a reciprocating movement along the narrow sides of the ingot; and a drive for said plates for pressing them against said ingot and withdrawing them therefrom.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive for the plates for pressing them against the ingot and withdrawing them therefrom comprises at least one power cylinder for each plate having a distributing device common for all the cylinders, and said device being actuated by a drive for the walking bars.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plates are hinge-jointed to said power cylinder.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plates are provided with channels for allowing the cooling liquid to flow therethrough.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,895,190 7/1959 Bungeroth et a1. l64282 3,015,862 1/1962 Rustemeyer et a1. 164-183 X 3,358,744 12/1967 Rossi l64282 FOREIGN PATENTS 895,913 5/ 1962 Great Britain.

0 J SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner R. SPENCER ANNEAR, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

